Crime against women

Gone are the days when Jammu and Kashmir State used to boast of lowest crime rate against women in the country. What has happened that the graph of crime against women has been rising year after year? When we compare the figures of crimes like rape, molestation, abduction, dowry killing, torture etc. during the year 2015 and compare these with the figures in 2014, we find alarming increase in all these crimes. However, the strange thing is that the level of crimes of general nature have somewhat come down during the same year in comparison to 2014, yet crime against women is a matter of serious concern. More alarming is that the crime against women in two capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu is on an increase.
This subject should also be studied along social parameters. Women in our State are finding more exposure in public domain. Firstly, woman education is spreading fast and more and more females are joining school, college, university and professional institutions to receive higher education. This brings them into contact with the world outside their homes. Girl students in various educational institutions are involved in national level education promotional activities like seminars, symposia, Bharat Darshan tours, national cultural events and more. At the same time, the Government provides many facilities to women sports persons and athletes. We have women football, tennis, cricket, badminton, table tennis and other sports teams who move about in the country participating in national competitions. Likewise, they have exposure in cultural events like drama festivals and in-school programmes. All this is because of the liberal policy of the Government to help women become equal partners in social, political and cultural activities of the society. It pulls them out of segregation, isolation and deprivation.
Unfortunately, unscrupulous males are trying to misuse the exposure that our womenfolk are getting. We have a spate of cases of rape, molestation and sexual abuse eating into the vitals of the society. This shows an upward graph because there is no stringent punishment for these crimes. More often than not, people alleged of these crimes escape scot free. The law handles them with kid gloves. The result is that others take a cue from such escapades and are not afraid of committing same crimes repeatedly. Stringent punishment could forestall this type of criminology.
Then there is physical violence against women especially married girls are tortured by their in-laws in different ways all of which are shown as criminal activity against women. Torture for not bringing hefty dowry, forcing suicide on newlywed brides, depriving them of human rights and physical facilities, discriminating them in various ways, abusing their modesty and exploiting them for flesh trade etc. are becoming rampant. Again, the focus is on accountability and slackness in enforcement of law. Cases of crimes against women are dragged on for years at end and we all know that justice delayed is justice denied. Legal process in cases of abuse of the rights of women is very complex. This subject needs to be studied exclusively by legal luminaries who should come forth with considered suggestions of making much needed amendments in the existing body of relevant laws.
Yet another aspect of the case is seen in the realm of morality. Moral values are under erosion in our society. Sanctity of moral laws is closely connected with the efficacy of penal laws because penal laws are essentially based on moral values of a society.  Moral values are built by the cultural fund of a given society. Our education system does not provide for the importance of moral education in letter and in spirit. Economic development infringes with moral values because everybody wants to become a wealthy person in shortest possible time and enjoy the attractive things of life. When the spirit of sacrifice and contentment evaporate from the mind of a person, he cannot maintain a moral standard. Abuse of women’s rights is simply and certainly aberration of moral values of a society.
Finally, it is a healthy sign that women should be encouraged to join police and armed force service in larger numbers. We should encourage them to develop self-confidence and inner strength to resist abuse of their rights. Women of young age between 15 and 30 should be given training in self-defence in each village and locality and they should form their unions for lending support to each other’s organization for protection of women against crimes of all kinds.

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